Cleaner by the dozen: 12 springtime tidy-up tools

Gearing up to get your spring clean on? Check out these eco-friendly cleaning tools that will come in handy when you do decide to partake in any spring cleaning activities later this month. Or in April. Or May.

Aside from recommending a few nontoxic bathroom buddies and compiling a list of tools to help remedy the stains, spots, smudges, splatters, and splotches left over from seasonal soirees, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve published a solid roundup of eco-friendly household cleaning supplies. Well, with spring just around the corner (and daylight saving time even closer) and many of you itching to throw open the windows and break out the feather dusters and abrasive scrubs, I figured now was good as time as ever to tackle the topic.

Below, you’ll find 12 Mother Nature-approved tidy-up tools ranging from an energy-sipping vacuum cleaner made from recycled plastic to sweet-smelling, cruelty-free wood polish to a limited-edition throwback (circa 1886) item that your great granny probably kept in her arsenal of household grime-busters. A little something for everyone — and every room in the house — to be found here.

That said, when it comes to cleaning solutions, the most economical and environmentally friendly ones can often be concocted from stuff that you might already have around the house (baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, etc.) but if you’re looking to experiment with a new, non-homemade solution this spring cleaning season, look no further...

What cleaning products and paraphernalia do you rely on each spring? Anything new that you've tried and been impressed with? Do you plan on doing away with any environmentally dubious cleaning solutions this spring?

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